Side venting rocket



June 6, 1950 A. SKINNER SIDE VENTING ROCKET Filed March 7' atented June 195 UNITE TATES PATENT (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

'Ihis invention relates to an improved construction of rocket and more particularly to an improved nozzle means for venting the propelling gases from the rocket motor chamber.

A serious problem involved in rocket design, especially those employing fast propellants, resides in providing a large propelling charge in conjunction with suilicient free area for the ilow of the propelling gases without producing an excessive diierential pressure between the head end and the nozzle end of the motor chamber.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a construction of motor chamber having an improved venting means for the propelling gases in the form of ports or vents formed in the annular wall of the motor chamber to permit the radial flow of the gases therethrough and into expanding nozzle means from which the gases are discharged rearwardly of the rocket.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide such an improved nozzle construction which can additionally function as stabilizing means in lieu of or as an adjunct to the conventional tail iin assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, substantially central sectional view, partly in elevation, of a rocket constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the rocket taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation looking toward the rear end of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 designates generally a rocket constructed in accordance with the invention and including a head or bursting chamber 6 containing a charge of high explosive 'l located in the cavity thereof. The rear end of the head 6 is reduced and threaded to form a nipple 8 to receive the internally threaded forward end 9 of a motor chamber I9. Motor chamber IU is provided with an integral venturi II at its rear end which, if desired, may

such as a blow out disk, notshown. A propelling charge, designated generally I2 is contained in the motor chamber l0 and includes a plurality of powder sticks or grains I3 supported by a powder trap I4. Powder trap I4 includes a rod I5 which extends centrally through the grains I3 and which is provided with a threaded end which engages a threaded recess I6 in the nipple 8. The opposite end of the rod I5 is provided with a head I'I for retaining the powder sticks I3 on the rod I5. The individual powder sticks I3 are spaced from one another and from the nipple 8 and the head I'I by spacing disks I8. As seen in Figure 1, the diameter of the powder sticks I3 is somewhat less than the interior diameter of the cylindrical motor chamber I0 so that the periphery of the powder sticks are spaced from the annular wall of the motor chamber.

The parts previously described may be of any conventional construction and form no essential part of the present invention. The invention includes a plurality of openings or ports I9, formed in the cylindrical wall of the motor chamber I0 and which, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, are arranged in longitudinal rows. A plurality of circumferential spaced hollow lobes 20 are formed integral with or suitably connected to the exterior of the motor chamber I0 and are disposed lengthwise thereon. The lobes 20 are closed at their forward ends, as seen at 2l, and are provided with open rear ends 22. The outer portions of the lobes 2li are disposed in rearwardly diverging relationship to the cylindrical wall of the motor chamber I0 and are of substantially the same thickness throughout their lengths, so that the volume of each of the lobes' 20 is progressively increased from its closed forward end 2| to its open rear end 22. As clearly indicated in Figure 2, the motor chamber I0 is provided with the same number of rows of openings I9 as lobes 20 and the openings of each of the rows are disposed to open into a, lobe.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that when the powder sticks I3 are ignited, which may be accomplished in any conventional manner, not shown, the propelling gases created thereby, instead of being entirely released through the venturi I I, will be also released through the openings I9 and the lobes 20. The nozzle means formed by the openings I9 and the lobes 20 will accommodate the release of the majority of the propelling gases so that as a result thereof a much larger quantity and a faster burningV propellant may be utilized with the improved rocket 5 than be normally closed by a conventional safety valve is capable of use with rockets previously known.

The gases discharged from the motor chamber l by means of the openings I9 and lobes 20 will pass radially outward through the openings .i9 and impin e against lthe rearwardly diverging outer po ons of the lobes 20 which will thus act as baiesflor deflecting the propelling gases rearwardly and through the open discharge ends 22 of the lobes. The lobes 20, in addition to functioning as a part of the improved venting nozzles, will also function as stabilizing flns for stabilizing the rocket while in iiight in lieu of or as an adjunct to a conventional fin assembly, not shown.

In Figure 3 a slightly modified form of the invention is disclosed wherein the lobes 20 are replaced by a substantially conical nozzle element 23 which is secured around the motor chamber l0, adjacent its forward end and which diverges rearwardly, relatively to the cylindrical wall of the motor chamber, and which is open at its rear end. The length of the conical nozzle element 23 is substantially the same as the length of each of the lobes 20 and the nozzle element 23 is disposed in substantially the same relative position on the motor chamber I0 as the lobes 20. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, the openings I9, not shown, may be arranged in rows, as in Figures 1 and 2, or, if desired and preferably, may be disposed entirely around the cylindrical wall of the motor chamber l0.

The rocket shown in Figure 3 will function substantially in the same manner as previously described in the description of the rocket shown in Figures 1 and 2. The propelling gases in the motor chamber will be discharged radially outward into the chamber, formed by the cylindrical wall of the motor chamber I0 and the conical wall of the nozzle element 23, and said gases will impinge against the rearwardly diverging conical wall and be deflected thereby rearwardly and toward the open rear end of the nozzle element 23.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rocket, a motor chamber provided with a plurality oi' radially disposed ports for venting the propelling gases of the motor chamber, and a plurality of hollow lobes mounted on the exterior of the rocket and into which the ports open, said lobes being disposed lengthwise of the rocket and being closed at their forward ends and open at their rear ends.

2. A rocket as in claim 1, and said lobes being ilared from their forward to their rear ends.

3. A rocket as in claim 1, and said lobes having their outermost portions disposed in rearwardly diverging relationship relatively to the contiguous portion of the motor chamber to provide baffle surfaces to deflect the propelling gases, impinging thereon, rearwardly, and to gradually increase the volume of the lobes toward their open ends. Y

LESLIE A. SKINNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 37,940 Plant Mar. 17, 1863 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,099 Great Britain Dec. 12, 1878 191,409 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1923 

